Video: No traffic jams for kayak commuter

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SEATTLE - On Tom Milne's commute, there are no traffic jams and you can't beat the view.

"It's a great way to start or finish your day," said Tom who kayaks 13 miles across Puget Sound to get to work.

"You'll have a couple ferries to contend with, pretty big boats, but it's pretty low key," he said. "Going out on the Sound, you'll see harbor seals, you'll see jumping salmon, eagles."

You won't see that sitting in a car, only in a kayak on the open water.

"This spring, I started riding my bike to work quite regularly and it became a lot more fun," he said." So I decided, why not kayak to work?"

Tom started kayaking from his home in West Seattle to his job near Fisherman's Terminal. That's 4 hours each way.

Some might call him crazy, but for a guy who loves mountain climbing and backcountry skiing, paddling to work seemed like a no-brainer.

"For me it was more a waste issue, of driving my own car and the price of gas actually made me more aware of that waste," he said.

KING

Tom Milne hopes to kayak to work at least once a week.

On his way home tonight, he saw a humpback whale.

"It came out of the water about six times about 50 feet away from me," he marveled.

He says, a little bit of nature, serenity and exercise beats being stuck in traffic any day.

Tom says kayaking to work is not for everyone nor will he do it everyday, but if the weather cooperates, he'll probably hit the water again next week.